Dear clients,

Following this afternoon's publication of written details of new emergency measures by the Ministry of Health, we bring you once again our brief overview of the main changes that employers will be facing in the coming days.

RESPIRATORY PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

The first of the emergency measures concerning respiratory protective equipment (full text available here) will apply from 00:00 on Monday 25 October 2021.

Newly, all persons who are in selected indoor areas (from the perspective of employers, the relevant areas include shops or service establishments) are obliged to wear respiratory protective equipment, unless these people perform work in this place without the presence of another person. The exception mentioned above may be excluded by an employer's internal regulation.

In all other indoor areas (i.e. workplaces, which would typically include, for example, offices or production halls), persons must wear respiratory protective equipment only if a separation of at least 1.5 metres cannot be guaranteed. However, the employer may decide that this obligation applies regardless of the separation.

The new measure also explicitly obliges employers to provide employees with sufficient respiratory protective equipment for each work shift.

REIMBURSEMENT FOR VOLUNTARY TESTING

The second of the emergency measures concerns the reimbursement of voluntary testing by public health insurance (full text available here) and will apply from 00:00 on Monday 1 November 2021.

Two voluntary (preventive) tests per month will be covered by public health insurance from the date of entry into force of the above-mentioned emergency measure, but only:

• people up to the age of 18 years;

• people who are unable to be vaccinated against covid-19 due to a contraindication proven by a medical report; and

• people vaccinated against covid-19 with at least one dose of the vaccine.

Persons other than those mentioned above will still have to pay for the preventive tests themselves, which may complicate the situation for employers who use tests covered by public health insurance as part of the universal employee testing they have decided to undertake in addition to the obligations set out in the measures.

In case of any questions about the above, we of course remain available to you.